Davide Dormino's 'Anything to Say?' Sculpture Honors Whistleblowers with Empty Chair for Public Participation

Artist Davide Dormino and journalist Charles Glass have launched 'Anything to Say?', a sculptural project featuring bronze figures of Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden seated on chairs, with a fourth empty chair for public participation. The work aims to draw international attention to the whistleblowers' sacrifices and promote freedom of information. Funded via Indiegogo, the sculpture will tour public squares in Paris, Berlin, and Dresden starting spring 2015. Dormino explains the empty chair symbolizes courage and invites viewers to stand up, echoing Assange's belief that courage is contagious. The project avoids institutional funding due to political sensitivities. Critics Roberto Gramiccia and Simone Oggionni support the initiative, framing it as a bold artistic intervention against silence and indifference toward democratic erosion.